What is the role of perseverance in the development of dynamic capabilities?

: Abreus case study

Abstract

The research problem involved in this dissertation relates to the role of perseverance in the development of dynamic capabilities. The issue considers the importance of top management’s persistence and resilience in creating and maintaining competitive advantages over time. Beforehand it is addressed how companies can develop the capacity to restructure, adapt and create a new resource base needed to guarantee a sustainable competitive advantage as the business landscape evolves. Dynamic capabilities’ theory is explored to illustrate how this capacity can be attained and developed considering the specific case of ABREUS. The research problem in this project is associated to how a company present in a moderate industry that has suffered a radical change, represented by a new market and client profile, was able to develop the necessary capabilities in order to yield from a competitive advantage position. After identifying the capabilities that have enabled the company this advantage position recent dynamic capabilities’ literature was considered to explain how and in what stage the manager’s perseverance was important in its creation. The role of the leader in delineating the firm’s strategy and the new business model, recognizing both the internal and market opportunities, but more specifically how he was able to address challenges and face clear impediments while pursuing his vision, is discussed.

Date of Award	9 Jan 2012
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Nuno Cardeal (Supervisor)